Smoking in Japan

[Davey]

Live and Learn, are the most important things of Life hahaha...

 

[Silverpoint]

Try paying about $10 a pack in England (and even then you can't smoke the bloody things anywhere). It's like torture going home. I curse the day I ever took my first puff. (kids take note! ;-))

 

[GaijinPunch]

I curse the day I ever took my first puff. (kids take note! )

Did you ever try Alan Carr's book? Worked for me. I got the shakes when I went into the game center (AKA smoking den of amusement) but even in Japan, it can be done. I was a pack and a half a day smoker then too!

 

[yukio_michael]

Akihabara even has a Smoker's Style which is great if you're a smoker and out of cigarettes. Just walk in.

Smoker's Style is crazy, at least it was to me at first, we stopped in there after having to deal with all the bustling okatu marching at us like zombies and it was the first time I've ever seen a whole small starbucks-sized area dedicated simply to smokers.

 

[GaijinPunch]

The best ones are in Narita with glass walls. You can barely see people in them. Coincidentally, one such area was where I enjoyed my last cigarette. My two year anniversary is in a bit under 3 weeks.

 

[Silverpoint]

Did you ever try Alan Carr's book? Worked for me. I got the shakes when I went into the game center (AKA smoking den of amusement) but even in Japan, it can be done. I was a pack and a half a day smoker then too!

Every time I've tried to give up, I've always failed miserably the moment I've had my first beer. I even stopped going out for a while just to try and get myself over the worst, but the first time I went back to a bar it all fell apart. If Alan Carr has a good strategy for resisting temptation even when in a drunken stupor, I'd certainly give him a try. If I want to give up the ciggies now, I'd have to give up beer as well. I can give up one greatest pleasures, but two would probably push me over the edge. Actually I managed to give up once for six months, at which point my staff begged me to take up smoking again because apparently I became a nasty, irritable a-hole at work for the entire time (well... even more than I am already).

Otherwise I've got to wait until we decide to try for a baby. I've made a pact with my wife (who also smokes) that she should give up the moment there's a possibility of her getting pregnant, and to satisfy myself that I'm not a complete hypocrite, I've said that I will give up with her. Some things I can easily dismiss from my conscience, but the remotest chance of damaging my child's health would be beneath contempt even for me.

 

[GaijinPunch]

Well, it's a million times easier when your better half doesn't smoke... even easier when they detest it. I quit smoking the day I got married. The day before actually. Alan Carr's method deals with situations that will make you want to smoke. You already know the answer though: avoid them. Yeah, the bar is the toughest place. For me it was bars and game centers. I really loved the game centers because not only did they have the newest technology in games, there were tons of games I grew up on as well. That, and you could sit there and puff away for hours. I had to quit going for a while... a few weeks, then I got over it. Now, no sweat.

Well, good luck with that endeavor when you try to take it on. It is a rough one.

 

[ArmandV]

The only way I've been able to quit before (sometimes for years) was when I got a nasty cold that made cigarettes taste like sh*t. The last few colds didn't cause that.

 

[deadhippo]

Otherwise I've got to wait until we decide to try for a baby. I've made a pact with my wife (who also smokes) that she should give up the moment there's a possibility of her getting pregnant, and to satisfy myself that I'm not a complete hypocrite, I've said that I will give up with her. Some things I can easily dismiss from my conscience, but the remotest chance of damaging my child's health would be beneath contempt even for me.

I think reports say that smoking even before pregnancy can harm your child.

 

[Akakubisan]

Keep in mind for customs purposes that not all cigarettes are previously exported. I have consistantly brought back 2 cartons (400 cigs) each time I came back. But these were always Mild Sevens which are made by Japan Tobacco.

The duty free stores usually know how much you are allowed to purchase assuming you ask.

 

[Mike Cash]

Keep in mind for customs purposes that not all cigarettes are previously exported. I have consistantly brought back 2 cartons (400 cigs) each time I came back. But these were always Mild Sevens which are made by Japan Tobacco.

The duty free stores usually know how much you are allowed to purchase assuming you ask.

From this same thread, oddly enough....

Smoking in Japan

 

[Akakubisan]

Mike,

Obviously I didn't read the customs information quite closely enough. I thought it was mostly focusing on previously exported cigarettes and not foreign made ones. When I reread it, I saw that it covers that as well.
Though I have never had to pay any duty on the foreign cigarettes, maybe because I bought them duty free?

 

[Mike Cash]

I have no idea. I've never transported cigarettes internationally and I've never made a duty free purchase in my life.

The only problem I've had with tobacco and duties was when one shipment of cigars got snagged by the Customs folks. The duties ended up costing me far more than the stogies themselves did. Fortunately, that was the one and only shipment they have taken notice of (so far, anyway). I have also had good luck with chewing tobacco. Customs has never intercepted a package of it.

 

[Pachipro]

One good thing about Japan is that you can virtually smoke anywhere, although possibly due to international pressure, I see that some places like the airports and the train stations are becomming a little more strict about smoking.

 

[deadhippo]

One good thing about Japan is that you can virtually smoke anywhere, although possibly due to international pressure, I see that some places like the airports and the train stations are becomming a little more strict about smoking.

lol
from some peoples point of view its a good thing and others its not

wel, things might change when Japan Tobacco admits that smoking damages your health but thats a difficult thing to do when youre the worlds biggest cigarette company

 

[ArmandV]

lol
from some peoples point of view its a good thing and others its not

wel, things might change when Japan Tobacco admits that smoking damages your health but thats a difficult thing to do when youre the worlds biggest cigarette company

Funny thing, this has been common knowledge for OVER 40 years. Yet people still do it.

 

[GaijinPunch]

Well, they've got a much lower rate of lung cancer due to all that green tea. That's what the doctor's say anyway. Remember though, this is a country that outlawed the birth control pill until roughly the year 2000 b/c it wasn't "safe". Abortions on the otherhand, were perfectly okay.

 

[deadhippo]

Well, they've got a much lower rate of lung cancer due to all that green tea. That's what the doctor's say anyway. Remember though, this is a country that outlawed the birth control pill until roughly the year 2000 b/c it wasn't "safe". Abortions on the otherhand, were perfectly okay.

Abortions are very common in Japan, from what I have read 2nd in number only to india with over 20% of prenacies being aborted but I'm not so sure of the legality of it. I have a feeling it may be illegal in the same way pachinko is illegal, but I'm not so sure.

 

[Kara_Nari]

Sorry, maybe I missed the post somewhere, but someone mentioned 'Alan Carr', what is the name of his book?
I've never tried to give up smoking. I dont smoke during the day, but definately make up for that at night time. When the time comes that I want to have babies, I will ensure that I stop well before the bun goes in the oven.
However im sure that 'when' that time comes, I might need a little push from that book.
Is that the internationally recognised one?

 

[GaijinPunch]

Yeah, that was me. The book is The Easy Way to Stop Smoking. He's got a ton of books based on the same (very simple) method. Don't get the sequel... it's very long-winded and hard to read. You'll get bored before you finish it, quit reading, and ultimately keep smoking.

Amazon UK

 

[Minxie]

OK smoking in japan is so irritating... Yeah there are places to smoke, but they are so limited (in my eyes when you compare to nyc), and there are "please do not smoke in this area" signs EVERYWHERE... lol... but i guess its better that way- cleaner streets etc, but still, its annoying because some places you have to walk forever before you reach a "smoke-safe-zone".

I felt like a criminal smoking in Harajuku, Shibuya, Kashiwa, Nagoya etc. My cousins were even telling me that you can't smoke while walking in some areas, and if the police catch you smoking while walking or in a non-smoking area, you get fined. Other than that, the non-smokers like to stare at you *haha... after a while, you just give up and start looking for butts in the street and other ppl smoking... lol

But you can smoke in every restaurant (well mostly)

One thing I miss from NYC: smoking freely in the streets of New York - walking, standing, throwing butts everywhere...

One thing I will miss from Japan: being able to smoke while you eat... oh how I miss those days in new york

 

[Davey]

I didnt smoke any ciggaret for 3 weeks now, and i dont miss it.. WOEHOE.. hope i can stay clean ...

 

[GaijinPunch]

Yeah there are places to smoke, but they are so limited (in my eyes when you compare to nyc)

What are you smoking? The only places you can't smoke besides Chiyoda-ku are train platforms and subways... even the train platforms have smoking sections. Some cities in the US have laws that forbid you from smoking in restaurants. Look at the poor Canadians. I don't even think they can smoke indoors.

 

[Pierrot le Fou]

A sewer is not a trash.

I used to be a conscientious smoker here. I always used to hold my butt until I got to a conbini where I could just dump it in the ashtray. I'd haul around a spare ashtray thing in case my first one got full. I'd refuse to toss a cigarette butt down sewer drains even if it was convenient and there was no ashtray within 200 kilometers.

Then one day I was walking down the street puffing away, got to a conbini to dump the butt in, and saw that it was being emptied. So I puffed away waiting as the conbini attendant took the ashtray, lifted off the top, took out the butt-receptacle, walked over to the curb, and dumped it down the sewer drain.

From that point forward I decided that the sewers ARE trash receptacles, and I can just speed up the process by directly dumping my butts in the convenient grates, rather than making the conbini employees do it for me.

 

[Minxie]

What are you smoking? The only places you can't smoke besides Chiyoda-ku are train platforms and subways... even the train platforms have smoking sections. Some cities in the US have laws that forbid you from smoking in restaurants. Look at the poor Canadians. I don't even think they can smoke indoors.

what am i smoking?! lol what I'm telling you is my experience in Japan so far.

New York City is one place where you can't smoke in restaurants and bars, which has hurt the bar business. However, NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg has passed, or tried to pass, a law where certain places can buy a "smoking" lisence. We used to be able to smoke everywhere until around 2 years ago.

I am Japanese, but I haven't been to Japan in 16 years. My cousins were born, bred & live in Japan, and they told me that smoking is limited now to certain sections. There are parts of Tokyo where you are not allowed to smoke at all. Laws pertaining to smoking has gotten a lot more strict. You don't see many people walking down the street smoking. Everyone goes to the smoking sections (for the most part), but since I am unfamiliar to where all the smoking sections are, it is irritating for me.

I guess I didn't want to be seen as some gaijin (even though my Japanese cousins told me I don't look Japanese at all & do look like i came from NYC), so I actually wanted to, in some way, respect the motherland and abide by some of the laws. If I didn't give two shiznits about my homeland, then i would have smoked everywhere, blown smoke in peoples faces who annoyed the crap outta me, and made non-smokers lives miserable. Hey, in New York, breaking the law is fun, and most of the time you can get away with it; but I feel that if you go to a country that is not your home, you should respect it even if they don't agree with how you act.

It's like since NY is dirty, who cares if we litter, but if a place is clean then why make it dirty?

get my drift?